Chapter 339

Chapter 339: Chapter 338

“Joanna, get me a glass of water.”

Their gazes met. Joanna Kennedy’s sluggish mind finally processed the request, and a flicker of self-reproach crossed her face. She immediately grabbed a paper cup to get him some water.

She mixed half hot water and half cool water, taking a sip to make sure the temperature was perfect before daring to give it to Simon Lockwood.

Simon Lockwood’s movements were stiff as he tried to sit up, but he quickly recovered. He drank the entire cup of water from Joanna Kennedy’s hand.

Joanna Kennedy didn’t dare touch him for fear of hurting his wounds. She only ventured to hold his fingers, asking eagerly, “More?”

Simon Lockwood was amused by her cautious expression. The warm water soothed his throat, and he felt much better, so he shook his head.

“How long have you been waiting?” Simon Lockwood asked her.

The question made Joanna Kennedy’s eyes sting, and she almost started crying again. She held it in for a moment before replying, “Not long…”

Simon Lockwood gently touched the skin under her eyes. “You have dark circles.”

“That’s because I haven’t slept.”

“Why haven’t you slept?” Meeting Joanna Kennedy’s red-rimmed eyes, Simon Lockwood chuckled softly, his voice slow and certain. “Worried about me?”

‘How can he still laugh at a time like this? Is he an idiot?’ Joanna Kennedy didn’t want to answer him, but after a moment’s hesitation, she couldn’t help but nod docilely.

Simon Lockwood didn’t take his own condition seriously, but Joanna Kennedy couldn’t be so careless. She silently pressed the call button, and a few doctors rushed over in no time.

The doctors were surprised for a moment to see someone else in the room, but they quickly regained their professional composure. They asked some careful questions about whether he felt any discomfort, and once they confirmed nothing was wrong, they went over a few things to keep in mind.

Joanna Kennedy listened attentively from the side, wishing she could take out a little notebook and write it all down. Simon Lockwood, the patient in question, seemed rather unconcerned, his gaze fixed on her the entire time.

In the end, the doctor addressed Joanna Kennedy directly. “His external injuries are quite serious. The dressings need to be changed regularly. It’s best for him to have liquid food now that he’s just woken up. Avoid anything spicy or any seafood, as they’re not good for wound healing.”

Joanna Kennedy nodded repeatedly to show she understood. After the doctors left, she took out her phone, recalled their words, and saved them in her notes. Then she texted her assistant, asking her to buy some food and bring it to the hospital.

After all that, Joanna Kennedy grabbed Simon Lockwood’s hand and rubbed it affectionately, comforting him, “You can eat other things once you’re better.”

“Mm,” Simon Lockwood agreed obediently, his eyes never leaving her.

His intense gaze made Joanna Kennedy a little shy. She looked down, avoiding his eyes, and started playing with his fingers. Simon Lockwood’s hands were beautiful—the knuckles were well-defined, the fingers long and strong. As she looked at them, she couldn’t resist the urge to nuzzle against them.

A finger pressed against the corner of her lips. She looked up in confusion, only to see his handsome face magnified before her. Her lip was nipped, not too hard and not too soft. Just as Joanna Kennedy was about to obediently close her eyes, the sound of the hospital room door opening made her flinch.

“What… what are you two doing?!” a flustered and furious voice rang out in the room.

Before Joanna Kennedy could even process what was happening, a hand grasped the nape of her neck and pressed her into a firm, warm chest.

Simon Lockwood looked at the sudden appearance of Old Master Sinclair and frowned. “Why are you here?”

Simon Lockwood was genuinely confused. He didn’t understand the significance of Old Master Sinclair showing up here. ‘Could it be because of the evidence he has?’

At this thought, Simon Lockwood’s expression turned cold, and his gaze toward Old Master Sinclair grew wary. That look nearly made Old Master Sinclair faint from anger.

“I’m your father! Where else would I be?!” Old Master Sinclair roared. “If I really wanted to make a move, do you think this little starlet would still be alive right now?!”

‘My tolerance for this is actually pretty good,’ Old Master Sinclair thought. ‘It’s a miracle I haven’t had a heart attack from rage.’

Despite his roaring, Simon Lockwood only furrowed his brows deeper and held the woman in his arms even tighter. To an unknowing observer, it looked as if he were cradling a precious treasure.

Old Master Sinclair deflated a little, but then his indignation returned. “Do you really think this little starlet is some kind of pushover? Do you have any idea what she did to your brother?!”

“Your brother is still in the operating room! His right leg was broken on the spot! How can you not see what a vicious heart she has? Only you would fail to see her true colors and put her on a pedestal like a treasure!”

Old Master Sinclair was so furious he was becoming incoherent by the end.

Joanna Kennedy eagerly lifted her small face and refuted in a low voice, “I didn’t do it.”

Seeing the flicker of guilt that flashed through her eyes, Simon Lockwood: “…”

“He’s framing me,” Joanna Kennedy said, biting the bullet. ‘Anyway, Simon can’t go check the surveillance footage, so it’s my word against his.’

She really didn’t want to leave a “violent” impression on Simon Lockwood.

Joanna Kennedy twisted the truth without so much as a blush, which made Old Master Sinclair’s head buzz with fury. He had never seen anyone so shameless.

“You… you… you’re lying!” Old Master Sinclair’s finger trembled as he pointed at her. “I’m telling the truth! So many bodyguards saw it! What do you mean I’m framing you?!”

“They’re all from your Sinclair Family anyway. Of course they’ll say whatever you want them to. It’s not like they’d dare to contradict you.” Joanna Kennedy, now in for a penny, in for a pound, spun her lies without a single stutter.

Old Master Sinclair: “!”

Old Master Sinclair was stunned with rage, seeing stars. He barely managed to stay upright by leaning on his cane. His voice trembling, he ordered his bodyguard to pull the surveillance footage, determined to expose Joanna Kennedy’s “true face.”

Hearing his call for the footage, Joanna Kennedy felt a pang of guilt but remained stubborn. “Videos can be faked.”

“Joanna Kennedy!” Old Master Sinclair was about to lose his mind.

Joanna Kennedy shrank into Simon Lockwood’s arms, her eyes welling up with tears. “Simon, he yelled at me…”

Simon Lockwood: “…”

Old Master Sinclair was still shouting for the surveillance footage. Joanna Kennedy’s face had clearly paled, and she looked utterly pathetic.

Simon Lockwood comfortingly caressed her cheek. When he looked back at Old Master Sinclair, his expression cooled instantly. “No need. I trust Joanna.”

Joanna Kennedy breathed a sigh of relief, and her tense body relaxed. Simon Lockwood, who clearly felt the change in her, had a complicated expression for a moment. Unfortunately, Joanna Kennedy didn’t see it, still believing she had bluffed her way through.

This declaration of trust was undoubtedly the last straw. For the first time in his long life, Old Master Sinclair truly understood what it felt like to be aggrieved and utterly speechless.

‘Utter humiliation! Utter humiliation!!!’

‘How is he still conscious? Hasn’t she angered him to death yet?!’

A bodyguard thoughtfully handed him an emergency heart pill, which only made Old Master Sinclair feel even more stifled. He pushed it away. “I don’t need it!”

‘He was the dignified head of the Sinclair Family! Was he really going to let some slip of a girl anger him into taking heart medication?!’

“Simon Lockwood, so this is the person you’ve chosen,” Old Master Sinclair said through gritted teeth.

‘What’s that supposed to mean? Is there something wrong with me?’ Joanna Kennedy’s brow furrowed. She lifted her little face, ready to retort, but the man pushed her head back down.

Joanna Kennedy: “…”

“It wasn’t a choice. It was always her.” Simon Lockwood’s cool, detached voice sounded from above her. Joanna Kennedy froze.

The word “chosen” had an unpleasant ring to it, as if one were selecting a concubine or an object.